Thames Valley Positive Support (TVPS) has been awarded £105,110 to help improve cancer care for LGBTQIA+ people
The CARE grant from Macmillan Cancer Support will help deliver lasting improvements to local cancer care and support services. Macmillan CARE grants are a new initiative by the national cancer charity, as they work to make cancer care better and fairer for everyone, no matter who they are or where they live.
TVPS is one of 65 community organisations chosen from across the UK to help improve care and support for people living with cancer today, while also contributing to wider and long-lasting improvements in UK cancer care for the future.
The Pride in Cancer Care project will be funded for two years to help bridge the gap between LGBTQIA+ communities and cancer services. The project will complement and build on the existing HIV and LGBTQIA+ support already provided by TVPS and through its BeYou service, adding specialist cancer support to the trusted services and relationships already established within local communities.
Through a dedicated LGBTQIA+ Cancer Navigator, a lived experience library and a co-produced inclusivity audit of local cancer pathways, the project will support people affected by cancer to navigate services while identifying and addressing barriers to care.
By putting LGBTQIA+ lived experience at the heart of the project, Pride in Cancer Care will also work alongside existing local cancer services, helping to strengthen inclusivity, improve pathways and ensure services are more responsive to the needs of LGBTQIA+ people.
Chantelle Kinsbury, Cancer Navigator at TVPS said:
“Being diagnosed with cancer can be overwhelming enough without also having to worry about whether you will be understood, whether assumptions will be made about you, or whether the people who matter to you will be recognised and included. Pride in Cancer Care is about making sure LGBTQIA+ people feel seen, heard and supported throughout their cancer journey. My role will be to help people navigate services, advocate for what matters to them and make sure their experiences help shape better cancer care for the future.”
Sarah Macadam, CEO of TVPS said:
“Pride in Cancer Care is about much more than supporting individuals through cancer services, it is about creating lasting change. LGBTQIA+ people will be at the heart of this project, helping us understand where barriers exist and what genuinely inclusive cancer care should look like. By taking that lived experience and working collaboratively with cancer services, we have a real opportunity to improve care for people accessing services today and for those who will need them in the future.”
Find out more
- If you are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and affected by cancer and would like support, Pride in Cancer Care Cancer Navigator Chantelle Kingsbury is here to help.
- To find out more about the support available, contact Chantelle directly on 07476 146284 or email c.kingsbury@tvps.org.uk.